Our Common Bond
by Ghostwriter
Summary: Cliffhangers 1. Newcomer Kyle Hunter finds kindred spirits in Scott and Shelby.
1. Admitting The Truth

OUR COMMON BOND

AUTHOR'S NOTE\DISCLAIMER

Hey, all! I know I don't usually put up stories during the school semester, but I just aced a test today and I felt the need to celebrate. This is a crossover between Higher Ground which belongs to Fox Family, and the movie, The Unsaid, which belongs to Universal Pictures. For those of you have never seen The Unsaid, it's a movie with Andy Garcia and Vincent Kartheiser, who played Conner in Angel. The movie was about a psychiatrist trying to help a boy overcome his past while coming to terms with his son's suicide three years prior. For those of you **have** seen the movie, this starts off where Michael is talking to Kyle after Shelly left the room. AU in that Kyle doesn't kill himself. And---I know this is messing up the time continuum in The Unsaid, sorry---but this takes place after "Because I Love You" and is **not** related to "Fighting To Be Heard", so Kat's still at Horizon. However, she **has** graduated and is now working as a counselor-in-training. What can I say? I always thought she'd make a great counselor. I also don't own the song Shelly sings. I think it might have been made for the movie and I'm only gonna put in what I know from the scenes. And I only added the ages of the Hunter family, we all know how old the Cliffhangers are.

CHAPTER ONE: ADMITTING THE TRUTH

Sixteen-year old Kyle Hunter tossed the handball from one hand to the other.

"I'll save you a seat just in case you change your mind," his father, Dr. Michael Hunter, stated.

"Yep," Kyle acknowledged.

"Any chance of that happening?" Dr. Hunter queried.

"Nope," Kyle replied. Dr. Hunter reached down and ruffled Kyle's hair.

"I love you partner," he said, giving his son a kiss on the head. The man didn't seem to notice when his son tensed. Then, he walked to the door.

"Hey, Dad?" Kyle called. Dr. Hunter turned.

"Yes, son?" he queried.

"Could I---could I talk to you? A---after Shelly's show?" the boy asked.

"Why not now?" was his father's question.

"It's Shelly's night. I don't wanna ruin it," came the reply.

"Okay," Dr. Hunter accepted. With that, he walked out. At the recital, thirteen-year old Shelly Hunter took her place on stage.

_There ain't nothin' I can do, no nothin' I can say where folks don't criticize me._

Back at home, Kyle went to the refrigerator and got himself a glass of milk.

_But I'm gonna do just what I wanna anyway and don't care if they all despise me._

After he had finished his milk, Kyle washed the glass and sighed. He didn't know what to do. Maybe he should've gone after all. It wasn't like he had anything better to do, and he certainly didn't need to be alone with his memories.

_If I should take a notion to jump into the ocean, 'taint nobody's business if I do._

Kyle went to the window and watched as the rain fell. He breathed heavily as everything came back. _Oh, man. How am I gonna tell Mom and Dad?_ he wondered. He had to think of how to word it, to tell them---especially his dad---that they had all been betrayed. His chin trembled and the tears began to fall.

_If I should go into church on Sunday, or cabaret all day Monday, 'taint nobody's business if I do._

Shelly finished with a flourish to wild applause. But nobody was louder than Dr. Hunter.

"Yes! Yes!" the man cheered. He and his wife, Penny Hunter, came up and gave Shelly a bouquet of flowers. Michael got a laugh from the audience when he took a bow with the cast. Minutes later, the threesome came home. Penny and Shelly hurried into the house and Michael opened up the garage door and drove the car in. Kyle's stomach knotted as he heard the rest of his family come in. _Well, I guess it's now or never_, he thought. He blew out a breath as Penny, Michael, and Shelly came into view.

"Mom, Dad? May I talk to you in private?" he requested.

"Kyle, I'm a big girl. Whatever you say to them, you can say in front of me," Shelly stated. _Well, here goes nothing_, thought Kyle, blowing out another breath.

"Mom, Dad, I **don**'**t** want to see Dr. Quinlan anymore," the boy announced.

"Now Kyle, Harry says you've been making some real breakthroughs---" Michael began.

"I'll continue therapy, I **will**. Just not with Dr. Quinlan. **Please**," Kyle insisted.

"Why, Kyle? Why don't you want to see Harry anymore?" Michael questioned. The boy sank to his knees.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," he sobbed.

"Didn't mean to what, Kyle?" his father asked, kneeling beside him.

"Didn't mean to, Dad. Didn't want to," the boy insisted.

"You didn't want to **what**, Kyle?" Michael prodded.

"He makes me feel so dirty, Dad. And no matter how hard I try, I can't get clean," Kyle cried. Shelly looked to her parents, confused.

"What's he talking about?" she wondered. Dr. and Mrs. Hunter however, had realized what their eldest child was telling them.

"Oh, baby. It's okay. It wasn't your fault. It's not your fault," Mrs. Hunter soothed, taking a spot beside her husband. The two held their weeping teen. Michael's eyes flashed angrily. He wanted to kill Harry. He wanted to kill that monster for hurting his son.


	2. Mt Horizon

DISCLAIMER

It's still not mine. Higher Ground characters still belong to Fox Family and The Unsaid characters are still the property of Universal Pictures.

Two weeks later, Kyle found himself staring at the scenery that went by. After learning what Harry Quinlan had done, Dr. Hunter had rushed over to the man's house to confront him. However, the coward had taken his own life. Kyle had tried other therapists, but he wouldn't see anybody without his parents present, and yet, there were things he wasn't willing to let his parents know. As a last resort, Dr. Hunter had decided to try Mt. Horizon, a school for troubled teens that was located up in the mountains. Kyle had listened in on the phone conversation his father had had with the principal of the school, Peter Scarbrow. The man sounded kind of cool. He had explained that the school was no stranger to dealing with sexually abused teens. For that, Kyle was somewhat grateful. Oh, not that he'd **ever** wish what had happened to him on some other poor soul, but at least he wouldn't feel like a freak. Dr. Hunter glanced at his son.

"It'll be all right, Kyle. You'll see. It'll be good for you," he said. Kyle managed a soft smile.

"You sound like you're trying to convince yourself, Dad," he stated with some amusement.

"Maybe I **am**," the man agreed with a laugh. Then, turning serious, "Kyle, you don't have to be afraid to tell these people anything. They're there to help you. And Peter knows that you're not comfortable with one-on-one sessions, so he's agreed to only question you when you're in a group and---"

"Dad, relax," Kyle interrupted. Michael laughed.

"Sorry," he apologized. Finally, the man pulled into a drive and stopped the car. Kyle could only stare. Right in front of them was a lodge with a forest right behind it. It was one of the most picturesque images the boy had ever seen.

"So this is Mt. Horizon," he stated.


	3. Settling In

DISCLAIMER

It's still not mine. Universal Pictures owns The Unsaid and Fox Family owns Higher Ground.

Kyle continued to take in the scenery. It was amazing! Presently, a man with dark hair came up.

"Dr. Hunter. Kyle," he said.

"Hello," Dr. Hunter acknowledged.

"I'm Peter Scarbrow. We talked on the phone," Peter said to Kyle's father.

"It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Scarbrow," the man stated as they shook hands.

"Oh, Peter's fine. We're very informal here," the other man replied. He then turned his attention to the boy beside him.

"You must be Kyle," Peter said.

"Hi," Kyle responded.

"Why don't you two come on in and we can get Kyle settled?" Peter suggested.

"That's fine with me," Dr. Hunter agreed. "Kyle?" he checked.

"Yeah. That's fine," Kyle said. With that, he followed the two men into the lodge and into an office. He was unaware of the curious looks from the other students. His mind was busily trying to take everything in.

"Normally, we'd search for drugs, but I understand that Kyle's not an abuser," Peter stated.

"That's right. He's not," Dr. Hunter confirmed.

"He **will** need a physical," Peter informed them.

"Does it have to be a one-on-one thing?" Kyle queried nervously.

"They usually are, but seeing how this is an unusual case, I see no problem in having your father there," Peter assured him.

"Come on. Let's just go get it over with," Kyle decided.

"Okay, then," Peter said. With that, the three headed for the infirmary.


	4. The New Student

DISCLAIMER

As you all know, none of it's mine. Characters from The Unsaid---the Hunter family---belong to Universal Pictures and Higher Ground characters---you know who they are---are the property of Fox Family. This may seem slower than my other fics and I apologize, but this is mainly a friendship fic between Scott, Kyle, and Shelby. Oh and in case I didn't say so, Jess is fourteen. Also, I know I didn't mention any luggage in my previous chapter, but by now, it's been put in the Cliffhangers boys' dorm.

Minutes later, after Kyle had endured his physical, he, his dad, and Peter walked out.

"Well, here's what we're going to do. Kyle will be placed into our Cliffhangers group and my fiancée Sophie, who's also the counselor, and I will monitor Kyle's progress. Unfortunately, you won't be able to stay here since we've found that the kids are more likely to open up without a guardian around, not to mention the fact that the parent is usually the root of the problem," Peter stated.

"My mom and dad didn't do anything," Kyle said angrily.

"Hence the word 'usually'," Peter responded.

"Sorry," Kyle apologized sheepishly.

"It's okay," Peter told him with a laugh.

"Would it be all right if I stayed long enough to make sure Kyle's settled?" requested Dr. Hunter.

"Of course," Peter agreed.

"Well, where are they?" Kyle wondered.

"Right now, they're at The Wall," Peter answered.

"'The Wall'?" Kyle repeated.

"Follow me," Peter said. Curious, father and son did so. Meanwhile, at a rock-climbing wall, Daisy Lipenowski was making her descent.

"Yeah! All right, Dais!" Ezra Friedkin cheered. David Ruxton rolled his eyes.

"You are **so** obvious," he told him.

"At least I'm not obnoxious," was the retort.

"Knock it off you two," Katherine Cabot chided. Their counselor, Sophie Becker, hid a smile. As Daisy dropped to the ground, something caught her eye.

"Well. **That** looks interesting," she drawled. Curious as to what had piqued their ex-Goth friend's attention, the Cliffhangers turned. To their surprise, they saw Peter walking with a man and his son who appeared to be sixteen.

"He's kind of cute," Jess Merrick stated.

"I wonder who he is," Juliette "Jules" Waybourne said.

"I'll let you guys know," Daisy grinned, as she went out to meet them. As the trio came closer, the Cliffhangers could see that the boy was dark-skinned with what appeared to be a tan and dark hair.

"Hey, Peter," Sophie greeted.

"Hey, Soph," Peter responded. "Cliffhangers, I want you to meet a new man: Kyle Hunter," he announced.

"Hi," Kyle said.

"I'm Daisy," Daisy told him. "Here you have Scott, Shelby---they go together, don't get any ideas---Juliette, Auggie,---same deal as Scott and Shelby---, Katherine, Ezra, Jess, and---"

"David Ruxton, main man," David interrupted.

"I somehow doubt that," Kyle deadpanned. The Cliffhangers all stifled a laugh.

"Well, I can see that you're going to do just fine here," Dr. Hunter stated.

"Yeah," Kyle agreed.

"Okay. See ya, partner," Dr. Hunter said.

"Bye, Dad," Kyle replied. They hugged and the man walked off. Scott, Shelby, Auggie, Juliette, Ezra, Katherine, David, Jess, and Daisy stared at each other in confusion. What could this happy teenager be doing at Horizon?


	5. Group And A Nightmare

DISCLAIMER

Wow. I'm dishin' 'em out on you guys. Sorry. I guess I just don't want to leave you guys hangin', since this is being done during the school semester. Of course, I'd probably **never** be able to put something up during finals, but we're not there yet. Once again, the Hunter family belongs to Universal Pictures and everything else belongs to Fox Family.

After everybody had been introduced, the Cliffhangers plus Kyle went into the lodge to get their meal. As soon as they had gotten their trays, they all went to a table and sat down. Kyle looked uncertainly at the food before him.

"It's not as bad as it looks. Really," Katherine assured him.

"Oh, I don't know. They say cafeteria food kills," Daisy deadpanned.

"Ain't that the truth?" Kyle chuckled. Seeing that the ice was broken, Juliette decided to take the plunge.

"So, why are you here?" she asked.

"Why are **you** here?" Kyle retorted.

"I'm a cutter and binge-purge queen. I sold laxatives to the entire sophomore class and landed in the hospital twice," Juliette responded.

"I was…**betrayed** by someone I thought I could trust," Kyle said. Only Scott and Shelby noticed the slight twitch in his throat muscles.

"Ah, yes. Betrayal. The root of all our problems," Daisy said dryly. Confused, Kyle looked to the others.

"Don't worry. You'll get used to it," Ezra assured. Kyle looked at his food, and then decided to take a chance. Cautiously, he poked a fork in what appeared to be ham and stuck it in his mouth.

"Hey. This ain't bad," he stated. Everyone laughed. After finishing dinner, the Cliffhangers met in the main lodge for group.

"Okay, here's the deal. Each one of you is going to say how you feel and why. Auggie, you start," Peter instructed.

"I feel proud. I was able to finish a reading assignment in just one hour," Auggie stated. Ezra whistled. Since he was dyslexic, finishing a book in one hour was no mean feat for Auggie.

"I also feel proud. I haven't cut or messed up my calorie count for two weeks," Juliette announced.

"That's great, Jules," Katherine complimented. Then, "I'm happy. My internship's going great."

"Bored. Group's not my favorite thing. I'd rather be doing something else," David stated.

"Nervous. I---I---I still sometimes have nightmares," Jess confessed.

"I feel relieved that Jess is here with me, away from that monster," Shelby added.

"I feel confused. I got a call from my dad yesterday and I'm not sure what to make of it," Ezra said.

"Well, I got a postcard from daddy-dearest saying that he's been sober for six weeks, so I'm proud of him," Daisy announced.

"I'm happy that my life's basically back on track and that I'm no longer with that skank," Scott said with some venom. Everyone looked to Kyle.

"I'm…overwhelmed. This is a new place for me and I'm not sure what to make of it," he said.

"Okay, then," Peter accepted. That was a valid feeling. With that, they were dismissed. Later that night, Kyle tossed and turned in his sleep. He let out a small moan. He couldn't escape. He was trapped in his nightmare.

_"So, how do you feel, Kyle?" Harry Quinlan asked._

_"Okay, I guess," Kyle replied with a shrug._

_"Just okay?" Harry queried._

_"Yeah," Kyle confirmed._

_"What's wrong, Kyle? You can tell me. We're special friends, aren't we?" Harry questioned, putting a hand on the boy's knee. Kyle stiffened._

_"There's nothing wrong, Dr. Quinlan. I'm fine," was all he said._

_"'Dr. Quinlan'?" Harry repeated. "Why so formal, Kyle? I thought we were special friends," he continued, moving his hand upward._

_"No," Kyle moaned. "No. Don't. Please."_

"No!" Kyle shouted, jerking awake. At this, Scott, Ezra, Auggie, and David made muttering noises.

"What's goin' on?" Auggie wondered.

"I---I just had a bad dream. Go back to sleep, guys," Kyle responded. The other boys did so, but Kyle merely turned his face into his pillow and sobbed.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

For those of you who are wondering, Kyle **will** eventually reveal to the Cliffhangers what happened to him, which will lead to the friendship between him, Scott, and Shelby. Please be patient.


	6. Is He Like Us?

DISCLAIMER

It's not mine. Higher Ground belongs to Fox Family and Kyle belongs to Universal Pictures. And a special shout out to my first reviewers especially Twinkie: yay. Another fan of The Unsaid.

The next morning, Kyle awoke with a troubled expression on his face.

"Oye, you okay? You seem kinda funky," Auggie commented.

"Yeah, just…um…bad dreams," Kyle lied.

"Okay," Scott accepted. The boys got dressed and ready for the day ahead.

"Come on. Kitchens," Ezra stated. The boys walked into the kitchen where they met the Cliffhanger girls.

"So, meal prep. Do we do this often?" Kyle queried.

"No, we just do it about once a month," David sarcastically replied. Kyle started for him only to be intercepted by Daisy.

"Main rule of being a Cliffhanger: basically ignore anything and everything David says," she advised.

"Right," the newcomer agreed. The kids turned to their tasks. Jess, Scott, and Shelby grouped themselves together and continually glanced at Kyle.

"What do you think?" Scott whispered after a while.

"I don't know. I mean, he acts kind of tense," Shelby replied softly.

"You think he's like us?" Jess queried in the same tone.

"I hope not," Shelby responded. They all looked to Kyle who was busy washing carrots.

"Yeah. Who'd want **that** pain?" Scott murmured. With that, he returned to his task of peeling potatoes, his thoughts whirling around the strange actions of the new boy.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Okay, I had an idea that I thought I'd throw out. An AU Higher Ground fic. Okay, I know this has been done before, but the Cliffhangers are going to a regular school and some---but not all---of them still have their problems, except for one main twist: Elaine is **not** Scott's abuser. Tell me what you think. Love it, hate it, what?


	7. I'm Not Ready To Talk Yet

DISCLAIMER

Not mine. Kyle is property of Universal Pictures and Higher Ground belongs to Fox Family.

Later that day, Kyle was sitting with the Cliffhangers as each of them pored over their biology books. Well, the other Cliffhangers were poring over their books; Kyle was just merely trying to concentrate. But he couldn't. He couldn't get his nightmare from the previous night to go away. He began to shake his leg nervously and his head jerked to the side as if averting his face would help him forget. Presently, Scott noticed this.

"Hey. You okay, man?" he queried.

"Yeah. I'm cool," was the answer.

"Then how come you haven't turned a page in twenty minutes?" came the next question.

"Oh," Kyle said with some sheepishness. He quickly skimmed the page, and then went on. Suddenly, the group was aware of a presence standing over them. Somewhat startled, they turned around.

"Peter," Katherine sighed.

"Hey, Peter. Don't scare us like that, huh?" Scott requested.

"Sorry," Peter apologized. "Group in five," he told them. Everybody groaned.

"We just had group yesterday," Kyle complained.

"It's an everyday thing," Scott explained. With a sigh, they all gathered up their things, and then met in the lodge. That day, Juliette started the session. Apparently, she had gotten a degrading letter from her mother and it had really gotten to her.

"I just don't understand why she acts this way!" Juliette whined.

"Because she wants a perfect little girl and can't see it's undoable," Daisy drawled. Kyle stifled a laugh.

"Hey, at least **you** don't have to worry about someone gunnin' for ya. Abe's still ticked at me," Auggie stated.

"Anyone else want to say anything?" Peter questioned. The kids answered to the negative.

"Hey, Kyle. You had a nightmare last night," Scott recalled.

"You want to talk about that, Kyle?" Peter queried.

"No," Kyle responded, shooting Scott an angry glare.

"Are you sure?" Peter checked.

"Didn't you hear me? I'm not ready to talk about yet!" Kyle shouted. Then, he jumped up and ran out of the room.


	8. Kyle's Second Nightmare

DISCLAIMER

Higher Ground belongs to Fox Family and The Unsaid belongs to Universal Pictures. I know this fiction is getting lengthy and it's moving pretty slow, and I apologize. Kyle's kind of difficult to write about since he didn't get much screen time alive. Plus, since the chapters are so short in Administrative Justice right now, we have two quizzes in a row. Oh well. At least it's on-line and I have two tries to get it right. I'm going to take my second try on Friday, which would be tomorrow, so wish me luck.

That night, Kyle tossed and turned in his bed, trying to get to sleep. But he wasn't sure he **wanted** to fall asleep. If he fell asleep, he'd just see the abuse again. He sighed and glanced at the other beds. Auggie, David, and Ezra seemed to be sleeping peacefully. He heard Scott made some low moans. Moans of pain and distress. Curious, Kyle lifted his head. What was going on? Scott's moans became a bit louder, arousing Auggie. The boy let out a moaning noise as he awoke.

"Oye, que pasa?" he complained. Kyle found it interesting that Auggie reverted to Spanish when woken. Scott made another noise of distress. With a yawn, Auggie reached out to the bed.

"Calmate, Meat. You're okay," he said. To Kyle's surprise, this did the trick. Scott immediately fell back into a peaceful slumber, as did Auggie. With a yawn of his own, Kyle snuggled into his sheets and closed his eyes.

_"Kyle," Harry said._

_"No. Please. Not again," Kyle begged._

_"It's okay, Kyle. We're special friends," Harry told him._

_"Get away from me!" Kyle shouted. "Just---just get away! Please! Don't!"_

_"Sssssssh. It's okay," Harry assured._

"NOOOOO!" Kyle shrieked, jerking awake. The groans of the other boys filled the room as everyone else awoke. Ezra turned on the light and they turned to Kyle who had begun to rock back and forth in his bed as the tears fell.

"What's going on?" David growled.

"Kyle, you all right?" Scott asked. Kyle could only breathe in heavy, sobbing gasps.

"You know, this is the second time you've done this," David growled.

"Shut up, David," Scott snapped. Then, "Do you want to talk about it?" Kyle shook his head. Scott and Ezra each picked a side and sat next to their new friend. However, they instinctively knew not to touch him. As the night wore on, Kyle continued to rock back and forth.


	9. How It Makes You Feel

DISCLAIMER

It's not mine. Kyle belongs to Universal Pictures and Higher Ground belongs to Fox Family. And for those of you who are wondering, as well as being a Scott\Shelby\Kyle friendship fic, this will have a brother\sister bond between Kyle and Jess and a Kyle\Daisy pairing later on. Now, before you bite off my head, I'm generally Daisy\Ezra fan myself, but if you remember, Daisy expressed interest in Kyle early on, i.e. when he first arrived, and I'm just going from there. Plus, I **may** make this into a full-blown series.

The next day, the Cliffhanger boys woke up groggily.

"Man, I cannot **move**," groaned Auggie.

"I hear ya," agreed Kyle.

"Well, don't even **think** about blaming me. After all, **I**'**m** not the one who woke everybody up for the second time this week," David grumbled.

"Ruxton, I am **so** not in the mood for you," Kyle snapped.

"Come on. Let's just go eat," Ezra said. With that, the boys got dressed and went into the dining hall. Luckily, they didn't have meal prep that morning.

"Hey, Kyle," Daisy greeted. The boy managed a small grin in her direction. Over the past few days, he had noticed her point to be around him, as well as the quick glances she had shot in his direction when she thought nobody was looking. She obviously liked him and he **definitely** felt something for **her**, but he wasn't sure if it was a good idea. Especially if she found out what had happened to him. That was partly the reason he hadn't opened up in group yet. Also, he wasn't sure what to think about the other Cliffhangers. From what he had heard in and surmised from their last group meeting, Scott, Shelby, and Jess had had bad experiences with their parents or guardians. Suddenly, he felt somebody's elbow in his side.

"You okay?" Katherine queried.

"I'm fine, Kat," Kyle assured quickly. He then shoveled the breakfast into his mouth so that he wouldn't have to answer anymore of her questions. Catching this, Shelby looked to Scott who mouthed the word 'Nightmare'. The girl nodded. She knew all about those. Especially when it was **real** quiet. Walt had liked the quiet. It made his power over her even bigger. After breakfast, the kids went out to The Wall.

"Kyle, you're up," Peter stated. Kyle made a face, but did as he was told. One-by-one, the other Cliffhangers followed him. Then, they went into their classes. Kyle honestly tried to concentrate, he **did**, but he could never focus after one of his nightmares. At free time, the Cliffhangers spread themselves all over the campus. Kyle found himself sitting at one of the benches. He blew out a breath and put his head in his hands.

"Do you want to talk about it?" a voice offered. Startled, Kyle whirled around to see Sophie.

"Sorry," the woman apologized. Then, "So…?"

"At group. I'll talk at group," Kyle replied.

"Fair enough," Sophie agreed. With that, she walked away. Kyle let out another sigh. He wasn't sure what to do. He knew he had to talk about what had happened to him, but he didn't want to have to see the looks on the other Cliffhangers' faces. Especially Daisy. His stomach knotted, just thinking about how she'd react. She'd never look at him again. The day passed and group came all too soon for the boy's liking.

"So, who wants to start?" Sophie queried.

"I do," Jess announced. Everyone looked to the younger girl.

"I, um---I had a nightmare last night. You know---he was---he made me---" the girl's voice cracked. "He said I couldn't tell," she continued.

"That's the worst. When they tell you to keep quiet," Scott spoke up. Sophie didn't reprimand him for interrupting. She and Peter had discovered long ago that Scott, Shelby, and Jess were more likely to share about their experiences if they interacted with each other.

"That you don't want to make it worse, or they can move on," Shelby added.

"**She** said that we couldn't wake him up. That he'd never understand," Scott said. "And in a way, she was right. He never understood," he continued. Kyle listened as the three talked. They had been molested? He knew that the school dealt with kids who had been abused, but he had never thought that it had happened to these three.

"It makes me angry," Shelby stated.

"Scared," Jess added.

"Disgusted," Scott said.

"Ashamed," Kyle spoke up. Everyone turned to look at him.

"You were molested?" Daisy queried. Kyle nodded.

"His name was Harry Quinlan. He was my dad's best friend…and---and---" Kyle hesitated and began to fidget nervously. Then, he began to cry.

"And what?" Scott asked gently.

"He was my shrink! Someone I trusted!" Kyle burst out. He tried to wipe away the tears, but they kept coming.

"Your shrink?" Juliette repeated.

"Yeah. He said we were 'special friends'," Kyle answered. He scoffed. "Some friendship. Just a dang lie," he continued, swiping at his eyes again. Shelby reached over and put a sympathetic hand on his arm.

"It's okay," she said softly. Kyle managed a small smile. It was so good to get that out! It felt so free! He looked around the group until he saw Daisy. Instead of the expression of disgust and disdain he had expected, her visage was one of sympathy and understanding. Kyle couldn't say anything. Just looked into her eyes.

AUTHOR'S RECOMMENDATION

For those of you who are fans of Trevor Blumas who played Kyle Hunter in The Unsaid, you should see Ice Princess. It's great!


	10. I Wasn't Sure If I Could Admit It

DISCLAIMER

Thanks everyone for your reviews. It appears that you're in favor of me making this a series. Well, it'd have to start sometime after school---if I ever get **this** fic done---and it'd have to be done alongside my Power Rangers series _Ranger Team_. So, in the future, when I don't have classes as an excuse, if my HG fics seem to be moving slowly, you'll know why.

Two hours later, Kyle found himself out behind the main lodge, watching some of the other kids play soccer and football.

"Hey," a voice said. Surprised, he turned around.

"Daisy," he noted.

"You lit out of group pretty fast," the girl commented.

"Yeah, um, sorry," Kyle apologized. "You know, I can't believe I actually admitted that," he continued.

"Well, you knew you'd have to release your baggage eventually," Daisy reminded him dryly.

"Yeah, but…I didn't know how you'd all react," Kyle said.

"'We all'?" Daisy repeated. The boy gave a surprised laugh.

"**You**. I wasn't sure how **you**'**d** react," he confessed.

"Why was that so important to you?" Daisy wondered. She bit her lip, trying not to appear too anxious. She wondered if Kyle could hear her beating heart.

"I've seen the way you look at me. I know you have feelings for me," he said. "I just…I didn't want you to hate me," he continued softly, staring at the ground. She forced his chin up so that they were staring eye-to-eye.

"What that monster did to you was **not** your fault. He was in a position of authority and he had your trust. He betrayed both. End of story," she declared firmly.

"But still…with the way he made me feel…I just---I just didn't know if I could admit it," he said.

"You probably have this voice in your head saying that you're a bad person, that you deserve this bad that happened to you. Well, I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Shelby: that voice is wrong. Don't listen," she stated.

"Thanks," he whispered. Then, he reached out and took her hand.


	11. Kindred Spirits

DISCLAIMER

Here's another chapter. Once again, The Unsaid is property of Universal Studios and Higher Ground belongs to Fox Family.

Days went by and Peter and Sophie noticed that as they spent more and more time together, Kyle seemed to be more relaxed than he had been when he had first arrived and that Daisy was smiling more frequently. They also noticed that Kyle seemed to get along the best with Scott, Shelby, Jess, and Daisy. Although, he always waited for Shelby and Jess to make the first move when it came to physical contact. This was also noted by the other Cliffhangers.

"Hey, Kyle, why do you do that?" Shelby asked one day.

"Do what?" Kyle wondered.

"Wait for Jess and me to make physical contact with you first?" Shelby reminded him.

"Because you were abused by a male and until you two are comfortable enough with me---" Kyle trailed off.

"Oh! You are so sweet!" Jess exclaimed, hugging him fiercely. Kyle looked somewhat surprised at the exuberance, but returned the embrace.

"She's right, you know. That **is** sweet," Shelby agreed. "And I appreciate it," she added softly. Kyle's surprise mounted when she reached out and touched his arm. The group smiled at each other.


	12. Will He Be Okay?

DISCLAIMER

The Unsaid is property of Universal Studios, and Higher Ground is owned by Fox Family. This is the last chapter in **this** story. However, after the semester ends, there **will** be more.

Peter was looking over some paperwork when the phone rang.

"Mt. Horizon High School. Peter Scarbrow speaking," he announced.

"Mr. Scarbrow?" a voice questioned.

"Dr. Hunter," Peter said in surprise.

"I just wanted to see how Kyle was faring," Dr. Hunter stated.

"He's doing quite well, actually. He opened up about his molestation a few days ago and has formed a bond with some other students who unfortunately survived the same thing," Peter responded.

"His schoolwork…is it still good?" Dr. Hunter queried.

"He's doing fine in school," Peter replied.

"And…his…social life? Is…that back on track? I mean---he wasn't---he didn't really have the heart to be around people for a while," Dr. Hunter recalled.

"He's getting along with the students real well. He's even expressed interest in one of the Cliffhanger girls," Peter answered with a soft chuckle.

"Is that allowed?" Dr. Hunter asked with some surprise.

"We **do** allow healthy, positive relationships as long as there's no inappropriate touching," Peter confirmed.

"I was just---" Dr. Hunter began.

"Curious?" Peter filled in.

"Yeah," laughed Dr. Hunter. Peter's mirth joined Dr. Hunter's.

"Will you keep me posted?" requested Dr. Hunter.

"I'll tell you whatever he gives me permission to," Peter answered.

"Fair enough," agreed Dr. Hunter. Both hung up. Peter went out to lodge. He watched as the students milled about.

"Hey, Mountain Man," a voice greeted. He smiled as Sophie came up beside him.

"Hey, Soph," Peter acknowledged.

"How's Kyle doing?" Sophie asked.

"Good. He's getting along great," Peter answered. They both watched as Kyle, Scott, Jess, Daisy, and Shelby sat at a table, talking and laughing. On the other side of the room, David, Katherine, Auggie, Juliette, and Ezra sat in three chairs talking softly. Peter and Sophie refocused their attention to the table where one half of the Cliffhanger group was talking to each other.

"Kyle seems to be happier," Sophie commented.

"Yeah, he does," Peter agreed.

"Will he be okay?" Sophie wondered.

"In time. You know that sexual abuse is hard for a kid to handle," Peter responded.

"Well, at least he's not alone," Sophie said softly.

"Yeah. There **is** that," Peter softly agreed. Both continued to stare. For one day at least, their students were happy.

THE END


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